Skating Blind
by Saturniia
Summary: First Brinkfic! Takes place about 3 months after movie (Brink). Rating is for mild language. Chapter 5 now posted. Shorter than I would have liked, yes... but I have a small case of writer's block!
1. And so it begins...

Chapter One  
  
  
  
Hallie  
  
  
I awoke earlier than usual that morning. At first I thought it was some bird or radio that had disturbed my slumber, but I soon discovered it was one of those aggressive in-line skaters California is so famous for, and a male at that. And he was skating in my skate-park!  
  
Quickly, I grabbed my sunglasses from my bedside table, putting them on. I then dashed across my apartment and down the stairs, taking them two at a time. I dusted past the computer desk, bookshelf, and windowsill in my office, and quickly unlocked and opened the door.  
  
A blast of cool morning air hit my face, and I could hear the boy's words more distinctly.  
  
"Val Horrigan sets it up for an inverted 540*," I heard, followed by the immediate stop of the skate clacks, and the swishing of cloth, muscle, and bone through air.  
  
"And he makes it!" The male voice said after his skates hit the ground, now jubilant.  
  
I smiled. More than anything, I could tell this Val boy enjoyed skating, and he enjoyed competition. It would be a shame to disturb him, but he was skating on my property without permission, and if I remember correctly, today was Friday, a school day.  
  
Making my decision, I called, "Val?"  
  
The clackity-clack of the in-line skates skidded to a stop. For a second, there was no sound except that of the waking city, and the cars rushing by. As quickly as the skate-sounds had stopped, they started again, receding over the blacktop of the skatepark. I heard him stoop to pick something off the ground, and then he was gone.  
  
"Wait!" I called, but he was gone.  
  
"Smooth move, Hal," I said to myself aloud. "You just scared off a customer."  
  
And probably a friend.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Val  
  
  
Damnit! I knew I'd get caught sooner or later, but why the hell did it have to be sooner?  
  
I'd found the girl's skatepark about a month ago, before my eighteenth birthday, but right after the Friendship Games... right after I'd been kicked off Team X-Bladz. But what did that matter? It was close to my house, it was a bit... sterile looking but had all the makings of a skater's heaven, and best of all, neither Brink and his puppies nor Team X-Bladz knew about it... yet.  
  
I guess I'm more like Brink and his lackeys than I'd like to admit. Just give me a few hours a day, and a place to skate, and I'm happy. The money is just a bonus...  
  
But of course, I was too competitive that day. Come to think of it, I'm always too competitive. It's just in my nature. It's not like I can help it or anything. You know what they say, "Do unto others..."  
  
And there'd be a lot of doing unto others today. Brink and co. unto me, me unto Brink, X-Bladz unto me, and basically me unto the world and vice versa. There's only one good thing about being at the bottom of the popularity pole. The only way to go is up.  
  
I thought back on the girl, and smiled. Rich amber hair, eyes covered by sunglasses only a few shades darker than her hair. Perfect body, with strong lines and definite curves. She's probably a skater herself. Didn't actually look all that much older than me. Maybe I could ask her to the senior prom. Then again, with the way I've been using her property without permission, maybe not.  
  
My watch beeped, and I looked down at it. 7:30. Just enough time to skate to school, and make it for first period. Thank God for hidden miracles.  
  
"Then again..." I sigh. "Off to another day in Hell... excuse me, high school."  
  
  
20 minutes later  
  
  
  
  
I entered the maw of Hell... beg pardon, the doors of school, with about five minutes to spare, and raced to my locker.  
  
"Oh, look there," I heard a voice behind me mutter. "His majesty, King Val, running. Ladies and gentlemen, here's one for the record books."  
  
I stuffed my skates and lunch into my locker, scooped my books into my backpack, and turned to face bleach-blond B.J. and the rest of my former teammates.  
  
"Look, Beej, I messed up. I completely and may have totally blown my chances for competing professionally in aggressive skating ever again, and I gave Team X-Bladz a bad name. Is that what you wanted to hear? You've been bugging me about this for the past three months, telling me I fucked up. I know I fucked up, so just leave it be. I'm sorry!" I sighed. As if life weren't bad enough already, here I was apologizing to the very boys who had become the best team in the state under my leadership. I'm such a stinkin' sap.  
  
For a second, B.J. looked surprised. The surprise was quickly replaced by cynicism, though, and the next words out of his mouth were condescending.  
  
"Nice try, man. Do you really expect us to believe that?" He asked, cool as ice.  
  
I sighed. Give an idiot a pint of power, he'll fill the cup to a gallon.  
  
"Listen," I grit out from between clenched teeth. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the other three guys on the team, two of whom I don't know, step back, and I couldn't help but smirk. I've still got the touch.  
  
"I know you don't believe it, but take it or leave it. Me, I'm leaving right now. If I don't start getting to class on time, Miss Lebert will skin me alive, and you're obviously not man enough to step down. Now, if you'll excuse me..."  
  
"No, man, I won't. You talk and act as if you're still captain of X-Bladz, man, and let me tell you, you're not. You blew your chances at skating; you betrayed the team and me, who only wanted to be your friends and most of all you lost your pride. You've got nothing, man," BJ said, meeting my eyes with a cruel stare.  
  
"That's where you're wrong, man," I sighed, thinking of the mystery girl. MY mystery girl. If thoughts of her skate park weren't what was seeing me through the day, why not thoughts of her?  
  
"That's where you're wrong," I repeated. "Now, get out of my way. Please."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
B.J.  
  
  
I couldn't help but stand in the middle of the hallway, mouth agape. I glared at Val's receding back. Did that idiot just apologize, then blow me off?  
  
"Cuhner, Baltsic," I commanded the two newest members of Team X-Bladz. I could tell that although they were afraid of Val after his little display today, they had no sense of loyalty to him. Not like Hunter.  
  
"Yeah, Beej," they chorused.  
  
"Make Horrigan's life miserable. Start at noon, today," I ordered.  
  
Baltsic and Cuhner nodded, and raced off toward their respective first period classes.  
  
"B.J?" Hunter asked. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Couldn't you just let the 'Soul Skaters' deal with him?"  
  
What an idiot! I grit my teeth against saying so, and turned to Hunter.  
  
"Hunter," I began in my most conciliatory tone. "How much do you value your position on Team X-Bladz?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
4th period  
  
  
Gabbie  
  
  
I hate to say it. I really hate to say it, but it's true! I pity Val Horrigan. Yes... I, Gabriella Dellama, pity the boy who has risked my life, risked my aggressive in-line career, and done nothing but make my life miserable for the past six years. I suppose that's a sign of maturity, but if it is, I'd rather be stuck with the maturity of an eight-year-old forever. It makes life so much simpler.  
  
I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned to face one of my closest friends, Jordy. Yup, just Jordy. He had a last name long, long ago, but... well, I guess we all forgot it. Ah, well... that's life. Anyway, Jordy tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to look at him.  
  
"Check Brink out," he whispered, and pointed to another blond-haired boy sitting two rows in front of us. About that "maturity" comment... can I take it back?  
  
Ah, yes. Andrew "Brink" Brinker, fearless leader of "Team Pup-'N-Suds", the Soul Skaters, winners of the Friendship Tournament, or whatever it is that guy kept calling it. But you know what? Three months later, the title just doesn't hold the same ring. I suppose it's because I've known Brink since before I first strapped on in-line skates (at about age six), hell, he taught me about "Soul Skating", but he has matured by only fractions since then.  
  
Take now, for instance. At this very moment, Brink was chewing a spitwad while our homeroom monitor had his head toward his next class's assignments. His target: Val Horrigan, nemesis of the Soul Skaters as recent as yesterday evening. Normally I'd snigger behind my hand, give Brink my encouragement, and think no more about it. But you know what? It's getting old. I mean, this mini-war has been going back and forth since we were in... er... sixth grade, give or take a year, and still no one has won. I've given up trying to figure out what Brink's trying to prove. Val's been banned from competing at least temporarily and Brink was offered his position as captain of X-Bladz (just between you and me, not that I'd want Brink to leave us or anything, but he makes a much better captain than that B.J. creep. Hell, Val was just competitive. B.J.'s absolutely insane!). Plus, all the girls that used to be fawning over Val have now turned their attention to Brink. (Okay, okay, you got me. Some of them are taking an interest in Jordy and little Petey too, but who am I to complain? Especially with a much larger roster of guys to choose from?) What more could Andy do to break Val?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Val  
  
  
I knew it was coming, same as it has every study hall since the Monday morning after Championships. At first it used to be worse... more people used to join in. Now, though, it's just "Brink". As if life weren't bad enough already, that arrogant son of a... wait, who am I kidding? It was my fault I got kicked off Team X-Bladz, just like it's my own fault if I get kicked out of the skate park after this afternoon. Hell! That means I'll have to go back to the Pit and session by myself, right beside Brink's little skateboarder friends. Ugh. But back to this afternoon. Until the homeroom monitor... Mr. Kanner or something... made the class stop jeering and caterwauling at me about six weeks ago, it was open season on my butt. Hell, outside of the classroom, it still is. That's why I was so happy to find the unknown skate park, owned by the girl with amber hair and sunglasses about two shades darker...  
  
I was so lost in my thoughts, I barely even noticed when Brink's spitwad hit the back of my neck. Still, I half-flinched and looked up at Mr. Kanner, trying to determine if he had noticed anything. When I saw he hadn't, I pulled the sticky paper wad from my neck and turned face to face with the only guy still bold enough to piss me off.  
  
"You, me, the amphitheater, lunchtime," I hissed, barely loud enough for Brink to hear me. When his eyes narrowed in recognition. I looked over his shoulder, and saw his lackeys; Gabbie, Jordy, and Pete, exchange confused glances. I turned back to Brink.  
  
As an afterthought, I added, "alone."  
  
Brink gave me a confused glance.  
  
"What's the matter?" I asked, still using undertones. "Scared?"  
  
"No," he whispered back.  
  
"Well, then, meet me," I muttered. "And don't worry. I promise not to break you."  
  
Brink scoffed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Brink  
  
  
"Fine," I clipped, just as the bell rang for lunch.  
  
Who the Hell does he think he is? First, he gets us all in trouble when he was on X-Bladz, after getting worked up over a harmless prank (he's always been too high-strung). Then, he works me half to death when I'm filling in for Boomer before the Invitational. Finally, he gets himself kicked off X-Bladz after Championships when he used an underhanded trick to force me off the downhill course. Whatever he gets, he has coming to him.  
  
I still met Val at the amphitheater. He was sitting halfway up the seats when I arrived, staring at his hands.  
  
I cleared my throat. He looked up.  
  
"Why're you so late?" He asked. "Take a while to lose the puppies?"  
  
"They're not puppies, Val. They're my friends. Something you obviously know nothing about," I shot back.  
  
"We're not here to discuss my social life, but thank you for your concern. We're here to talk about the spitwads you toss at me in study hall everyday, without fail," he said, opening the argument.  
  
"You know what? Whatever you get, you brought it on yourself. Boomer's right. You never think. If you had, we'd probably still be enemies, me and my friends would have still beaten Team X-Bladz, and you'd still have your position as captain!" I shouted.  
  
His eyes narrowed, and he took a menacing step towards me. I've only twice seen him like this before, and from what I've seen both times, I have only two words to say: Oh, shit.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Val  
  
  
"Listen, buster," I scoffed, getting right in his face. "You aren't exactly free of guilt yourself. You don't always think ahead, either. If I remember correctly, you came to join X-Bladz of your own free will. You made a good impression on Jimmy, of your own free will. And, damnit, you made me so jealous I worked you into the ground during those weeks. Are you happy? I was jealous of you. Of your talent. Of your unadultured love for the sport. Of your friendships. I was alone, I was unhappy, and I didn't care who I hurt, so long as I held onto the only concrete thing in my life at that moment... the fact that I was captain of Team X-Bladz. I was scared... no, I was beyond scared. I was terrified! Are you happy now? Now that you know that I was scared shitless by you? Are you happy?"  
  
Why the Hell did I just say all that? What a move for a wuss like me to make, especially feeling like I do right now. First, I freak when that amber-haired girl finds me in her skate park. Then, I actually apologize to B.J. And now I confess my one weakness to Brink! I must have the flu or something.  
  
"Listen, man, I'm sorry. I'll lay off the spitballs. I didn't know most of the stuff you did was from intimidation. I'm just the way I am, and I can't help it. You know how it is," Brink was saying.  
  
"Yeah, I know how it is. Now, I think I better get my butt to the nurse's office. My stomach's telling my body it didn't like my lunch, and well... you know how it is," I said, and stood to go.  
  
"After you, man," Brink said, stepping away from me and waving me on.  
  
I don't really have to ralph, but I need to get out of this hellhole. I think I've done enough damage for one day. So let's see here now... what should I tell the nurse? With everything that's going on this time of year... flu-like symptoms would be best.  



	2. Beer Bellies and Bruises

Disclaimer: Sorry I forgot one before. Anyways, previously and henceforth, all characters and likenesses associated with "Brink" belong to the Disney Channel. I just borrow them. Hallie is mine, as are any situations or characters not referenced to in the tv movie. Cuhner and Baltzac are my names for the two replacement members of "X-Bladz", and Hunter is my name for the dude on the team who talked, but was never named. So there!  
In short, if you don't know where it came from, I probably own it. If you're sure you've seen it before, I probably don't.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
Val  
  
  
I must be some sort of masochist or whatever. Honest! Either that, or I'm just a glutton for punishment. Otherwise, why would I be here, back at the skate park, at 5:30 AM on a Saturday morning?  
  
I hope that girl doesn't come out again. Don't get me wrong, she's hot and all, but she owns the place and I really don't want to get kicked out. Which is why I'm sitting at the top of the half-pipe, legs hanging over the side, staring at the quickly lightening east. Yup, another exciting day in Pacifica on the right side of the tracks.  
  
Massaging my right shoulder, I think back on how I got the bruise under my long-sleeved tee. I'd come home from working at the local library a little early, seeing as it was Friday and all. Yup, Val Horrigan, the fearless former leader of Team X-Bladz, working at a library. Anyways, I come home early, and for some reason or other, Dad's mad at Stacie. Again. Anyways, he's rearing up to hit her, and I dash in between the two. His fist comes down on my shoulder, and I'm sure Stace saw me wince. I turn around and glare at Dad, and he takes a step back. Eyes rimmed red, and pupils are all... whatever. It doesn't matter, because I can tell he's been smoking his shit again. Quickly, I tell Stacie to pack her overnight bag and send her next door, to old Mrs. Wilkes. She's crazy about cats, taking care of about twenty or so, and because the cats can tolerate Stacie, she can too. Anyways, I send her over to Mrs. Wilkes, and face dad, ready for another night of arguing about him going to NA and detox and everything. It never makes any difference, though. He does what he does, and doesn't give a flying fig tree what I do, so long as it doesn't involve an investment from him. That's practically how I got started on X-Bladz anyway, back when I skated for the fun of it.  
  
Which reminds me. Why am I sitting here like a schmuk when I could be skating before mystery-girl catches me? The sun's practically up now, and Saturday's a big business day for most skate parks in this district.  
  
Standing and stretching my arms over my head, I eye the halfpipe. Launching myself onto the curve, I laugh as the first rush of adrenaline overtakes me, erasing all thoughts of Dad and his problems, old Mrs. Wilkes's cats, and everything else that is messed up in my life from my mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hallie  
  
  
What the fuck? Whatever the hell time it is, someone's going to pay for waking me up. I glare in the general direction of the clock, and *thwack* it with my hand.  
  
"Five forty ay-em."  
  
Brilliant. Just brilliant. I close my eyes and try to get back to sleep when I hear something. The sound of skates' wheels against wood, blacktop, and concrete, and distinctly male laughter. Something about the laughter sounds almost familiar, and then I remember the boy from yesterday.  
  
Could my pal Val be back again?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Twenty minutes later...  
  
After listening to Val have his fun for another twenty minutes, I can tell four things:  
1) The skater is Val.  
2) He loves skating more than life itself.  
3) He is very good at it.  
4) His right shoulder is injured, or at least sore. It's throwing off his landings.  
  
Don't ask how I was able to figure this out. I guess I just have "the ear" for that sort of stuff. It's a lot of fun, sometimes, being able to tell what people are doing without having to look at them. In any case, I suppose six is more than late enough for me to get up.  
  
Lazily, I swing my legs over the side of my bed and stretch my hands overhead before grabbing my sunglasses off my bedside table. Shuffling my way to the kitchen, I contemplate what to make for breakfast. After a second of consideration, I decide that whatever I make, it better be doubled. Val's probably hungry, and it would be just brilliant if I scared off my only customer.  
  
Hmm... scrambled eggs, toast, and orange juice? Why not? I open the refrigerator, and let the slight chill cool my skin. Reaching in, I grab three eggs and crack them into a small bowl... and so begins the morning ordeal of making breakfast. 


	3. Busted!

Chapter 3  
  
  
  
Ten minutes later...  
  
Val  
  
I landed another inverted 540*... perfect, of course, and smirked as my feet hit the ground. Yes, life is good. I had been out there skating for the past half hour or so, and nobody had caught me yet. It was a Saturday, Stacie was safe at Mrs. Wilkes's, Dad was passed-out and oblivious to the word (okay, so that part of life isn't always so great), and I'm not expected at work for another three hours, at least. I could keep going like this all day. My stomach, on the other hand...  
  
I skated over to my bookbag, and pulled out an apple. Just as I was about to take a bite, I heard...  
  
"Val?"  
  
Oh, shit. Oh fucking shit. I've been found out. Only one thing to do now, I guess.  
  
"Yes, ma'am?" I asked, turning to face the girl from yesterday.  
  
"Oh, please don't call me that, it makes me feel so old. And my name's Hallie," she said. Hmm... dare I try some stupid pickup line like 'pretty name for a pretty girl'? ...Nah.  
  
"Well, anyways," she continued. "I was making breakfast, and I kinda cooked more than I needed to, so I was kinda wondering if you'd like to join me..."  
  
Okay. Lemme get this straight. I basically break-and-enter into this girl's skatepark, she catches me and God knows she should bust my ass for this, and she invites me to breakfast? Is this girl for real? There's gotta be a catch somewhere. But hey, food is food, and almost anything is better than just an apple...  
  
"All right," I sighed.  
  
"Jeez, don't sound so excited," she laughed.  
  
I chuckled. "Sorry. And about the whole wandering into your skatepark uninvited thing..." I began, but she cut me off.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it. We'll work out a plan for now on after we eat. Now are you coming or not?" She asked, and turned to go inside.  
  
All I can do is laugh and follow her through the office and up the stairs.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hallie  
  
"So, tell me a little about yourself," I said, reaching for a piece of toast and buttering it carefully.  
  
"There's not much to tell," he hedged.  
  
"Come on, don't lie," I laughed. "All I know about you so far is that your name is Val, you love skating, there's an injury on your right shoulder, and you live here in Pacifica. In the grand scheme of things, that's not much to go on."  
  
"How'd you know my right shoulder is injured?" He asked after a second, placing his glass back on the table.  
  
I took a bite of my toast, and chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds. After swallowing, I replied, "It was reasonably obvious. I mean, your landings were being thrown off, and since most people are right-handed, it just seemed most natural that your right shoulder would be the uninjured one."  
  
"Yeah, I guess that makes the most sense," he sighed. "Damn, do you ever have an ear for that stuff, or what?"  
  
"I like to think of it as 'or what'," I joked.  
  
We ate in silence for a couple minutes.  
  
"So?" I asked.  
  
"Buttons?" He retorted, a little unsure.  
  
"No, silly," I laughed. "About yourself."  
  
"Oh. Well, like I said, there isn't much to tell. My last name's Horrigan, I go to Pacifica High School, and I'm an eighteen-year-old senior. In school, I don't have many friends. I used to be on a sponsered team, but I was a little... too competitive. Most of my ex-teammates hate me, and, ironically, my former rivals are the closest things I have to friends. At home, I have a younger sister named Stacie, and we live with our dad. He isn't exactly the best person in the world most days, but when he's sober, he's all right. I'd have probably left by now, if it wasn't for Stacie," he admitted, then paused. "I'm probably talking too much though. Tell me a little about yourself."  
  
When his dad's SOBER? What's that about? I guess I'll have to ask him about that later.  
  
"Um..." I began. "I'm Hallie. Hallie Adams. I'm seventeen, and emancipated. No siblings. Grew up on the East Coast, and graduated magna cum laude last year. Yeah, college. I was always smarter than most other kids my age."  
  
I gave a short, harsh, laugh, and continued. "I had some money saved up and decided to start a business, so here I am! And what did you mean, your dad's decent 'when he's sober'?"  
  
"It's nothing to worry about," he drawled, dismissing it as trivial. "Honest."  
  
"Well, what happens when your dad's not sober? Does he get violent? Abusive?" I asked.  
  
Val was silent for a moment, and I knew I'd hit a nerve.  
  
"At eighteen, you don't have to live under his roof, you know. And if you don't want Stacie to stay with him, there's special ways to get yourself named her guardian. It would be tough, but then again, what isn't?" I babbled, trying to talk him into leaving. The situation he grew up in was bad, and I don't want a potential friend being hurt any more than necessary.  
  
"Where would we stay," he mulled.  
  
Finally! I'd gotten through to him!  
  
"Stay here!" I suggested, before my brain could catch up with my mouth.  
  
"Here?" He asked.  
  
Uh-oh.  
  
"Why not? I have extra rooms. You'd have to help around, earn your keep of course, but beyond that, no commitment!" I explained. Might as well nail the coffin shut on me right now.  
  
"All right," he agreed. "We'll move in. Just give us a while to get our stuff together. How soon can you have us?"  
  
"Whenever you're ready," I replied truthfully.  
  
"All right, how about sometime after six?" He asked.  
  
"Great!"  
  
"Great!"  
  
  
Great. 


	4. Daddy Dearest

Chapter 4  
  
  
Val  
  
  
"Oh, no you're not, young man!" My father yelled, passing my "room" as I threw all my worldly belongings in an old duffle. "I'm your father, and I say you stay right here."  
  
Dumb shit. For God's sake, I've been eighteen years old for months now, and he's been treating me horribly since I've been born. How long does he honestly expect to keep me here?  
  
"Yes, I can, Dad, and I'm taking Stacie with me," I sighed, stuffing my "lucky charm", a battered old stuffed bear my mom gave me when I was born, at the top of the bag, and zipping it shut.  
  
"Like hell you are!" He bit off.  
  
"Well, there's no way in hell I'm letting her stay here!" I shouted back. "You're stoned most of the time, and whenever you're not, you're cooking up schemes to get more money to buy more pot! What makes you think I'm going to let her stay with you?"  
  
"What the fuck do you know about this Haley girl, anyway?" Dad asked.  
  
"Hallie," I corrected automatically. I slid the shirt I had worn this morning over my head, and pointed to the bruise on my right shoulder.  
  
"For one thing, she doesn't beat people."  
  
"How do you know?" Dad asked.  
  
"Just an instinct," I replied sarcasticly, shrugging a clean shirt over my head, and checking my reflection in the grimy mirror over my bed. Dear Lord, do I ever need a haircut...  
  
"Well then, take your 'instinct'-ing ass out of my house and don't come back! But don't you dare touch your baby sister, you hear?" He snapped. "Do whatever the hell you want with your life, you're not my fucking responsibility anymore," Dad snapped, his harsh words receeding to a grumble at the end of his speech.  
  
"Yeah, I hear you, dad," I sighed. But the real question is, was I listening?  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Stacie  
  
There's a lot of yelling again. Daddy's yelling at Val, and Val's yelling at Daddy. Doesn't Val remember that when you yell back at Daddy, you get hurt? I don't like it when Val gets hurt, because then he can't tell me the story about the little mermaid. The one mommy told him so long ago...  
  
"I'm going, I'm going," I heard Val grumbling as he thudded out of the house.  
  
Smiling, he poked his head into my room.  
  
"Hey, Littlebit," he asked, using his special nickname just for me. "Wanna go for a walk?"  
  
Yeah! I jumped up, nodding my head, and scooched into my sneakers.  
  
"Oh no, you don't," Daddy growled. I don't like when he does that, it means I'm gonna get hurt.  
  
"Oh yes, he does," came a voice from the door. Mrs. Wilkes!  
  
Val grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door before Daddy had a chance to protest. "Thanks, Mrs. W.," he whispered on the way by.  
  
We were outside now, and it's pretty cold. When I ask Val where we're going, he just says it's somewhere safe. I hope it's Brink's house. I like Brink. When I tell Val as much, though, he looks at me like I'm nuts.  
  
"No," he says. "We're going to live with a girl named Hallie."  
  
"But she's blind!" I cry. I should know. Lara, from school, lives right down the street from the skatepark, and she says that sometimes she sees Hallie walking around her lot with one of those funky blind-people canes.  
  
"No, she's not," Val replies.  
  
"Yes, Lara says she is," I try to explain.  
  
"I don't care what Lara says," Val tells me. "I just ate breakfast with her a few hours ago, and she is definately not blind."  
  
"Did you see her eyes?" I ask. "Lara says you can tell if someone is blind because their eyes don't focus on you."  
  
Val rolls his eyes, and I can tell he's mad at me for mentioning Lara again, but he says nothing.  
  
I thought so. 


	5. In which we learn Val's full name, accor...

Skating Blind Chapter 5  
  
  
Stacie  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You like her, don't you Val?" I asked. He kinda glared at me as we passed my elementary school, then looked straight ahead and kept walking.  
  
"Val?" I asked again. "Val? Val-my-pal? Valentine Romeo Horrigan! Aren't you going to answer me?"  
  
After I said this, Val really scared me. He pulled me up rough, just like Daddy does when he's mad, and glared straight into my eyes.  
  
"Listen," he growled. "Anastasia Marie Horrigan, listen to me for just one moment. I don't know if I like Hallie. I've only met her two hours ago. But I do know that I don't like being called by my full name. So please, please stop using it. It's bad enough that Dad was stoned when he named us, but... just listen. I have an image to keep up, one that almost contradicts my full name, do you understand?"  
  
"Crystal," I whispered.  
  
Suddenly, his expression changed from angry... to sickened.  
  
  
Val  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dear Lord, what the fuck was I doing? I was almost becoming my father! Abruptly, I let go of Stacie's arm, and turned away. Running a hand through my hair, I couldn't bring myself to meet her horrified stare.  
  
"Stace..." I started. "I'm sorry I scared you, and I'm sorry I treated you so rough. I know you probably don't believe it, but it's true. It's just that... being around Dad so long has probably made me develop a lot of habits that will be hard to break, and you got me really mad. That's still no reason for me to treat you like I did, and I'm sorry, but... Stace, you're all the family I have left. Mom's gone, Dad basically disowned me... it's just me and you kiddo. Now, how about we go see Hallie, who is NOT blind?"  
  
Stacie just looked at me for a moment, and I started to get nervous. Slowly, though, she smiled. At long last, she opened her mouth.  
  
"Yes, she is," she laughed, and took off down the sidewalk, giggling.  
  
"And you DO like her, VALENTINE!" She called over her shoulder.  
  
Kids. 


End file.
